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Twenty-five percent of local councils have been hacked

A recent report into the extent of cyber attacks which have penetrated local government systems has reported that 25% of local councils have been hacked. The report cited that there is 37 cyber attacks on councils per minute according to a report by privacy campaign group "Big Brother Watch" (https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Cyber-attacks-...). Much of the success of the cyber attacks is down to human error and thus poor training for staff at local councils. Despite this statistic 75% of councils report that staff have not undergone the mandatory cyber training.

Jennifer Krueckeberg, lead researcher at Big Brother Watch, said:

“With councils hit by over 19 million cyber attacks every year, one would assume that they would be doing their utmost to protect citizens’ sensitive information.

"We are shocked to discover that the majority of councils’ data breaches go unreported and that staff often lack basic training in cyber security. Local authorities need to take urgent action and make sure they fulfil their responsibilities to protect citizens."

Some councils have been fined heavy fines by the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) of up to £100,000 due to sensitive data leaks due to security breaches in their system. Also, councils are required to inform the public whenever they have a data breach and private information has been accessed. If you are a council and would like cyber security training for your staff please do contact us.